ABSTRACT
School of Biological Sciences, Liverpool Polytechnic, Byrom Street, Liverpool L3 3AF, U.K.
This review addresses the relationship between trace metals, bacteria, and fungi. Metal uptake by both groups of organisms is fully discussed, with emphasis on reported instances of metal accumulation by pure or mixed species cultures. In the case of bacteria, mechanisms of uptake are considered that include differences observed between gram +ve and gram -ve forms. The relationships of growth phase, metabolic activity, and the production of extracel lular chelating agents to the metal uptake and accumulation are discussed, together with the eventual fate of metals in bacterial cells. Differences between fungal and bacterial uptake receive attention, as does the relationship of metal uptake to differences in growth form in selected microfungi. Again, uptake mechanisms, where differing from bacteria, and eventual fate of metals in fungal cells is considered.
